


Exposure

by anxiousgeek



Series: Secrets [1]
Category: NCIS
Genre: F/F, F/M, Kibbs, Series, i have problems
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:21:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27740686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anxiousgeek/pseuds/anxiousgeek
Summary: Gibbs knows everyone's secrets, and finally discovers Kates.
Relationships: Jethro Gibbs/Caitlin Todd
Series: Secrets [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2029234
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	Exposure

**Author's Note:**

> A series in the making.

It’s taken him a little longer than he would like to admit but Gibbs has figured out Kate’s secret.

They all have secrets, even Tony and McGee, and he knows everyone’s secrets. He collects them almost, collects them and keeps them safe. It keeps them safe. He knows their secrets, and guards them fiercely, keeping his team safe, keeping Abby safe.

Even keeping Ducky safe, though he sure there is more to be learnt about his oldest friend.

And he’s taken a while but he’s finally figured out Kate’s secret.

Or at least one of them. Like Duck, there is a lot more to be known about Caitlyn Todd and he’s not completely sure why this is a secret. Possibly she thinks he’ll disapprove, but then, he’s gotten the impression Abby doesn’t know either and Abby is more open-minded than all of them. 

He doesn’t really care one way or the other though, it’s her life, it’s who she is. He lo-likes her for exactly the person she is. 

Part of him wants to tell her that he knows, that he saw her once, so she has someone to talk to about it, but then, he assumes she has friends. Assumes she talks to her sister at least. She doesn’t need her grumpy boss pushing his way into her personal life anymore than he already has. He already struggles with what he does know about her. It’s like it’s too much for him to bear, all this knowledge he has about his pretty young subordinate.

He repeats those words over and over, unable to remove the pretty bit even as he tries to distance himself from her, tries to push down his attraction to her.

He never intends to bring it up with her, but then, a few months after he’s figured it out he finds himself slipping through the doors of the elevator to catch up with her at the end of the day. Kate’s eyes are red-rimmed under the extra make-up she’s applied to hide it. She’s pale too, the light colour on her cheeks doing nothing to hide the fact. He doesn’t know if he’s talked to anyone, but it’s coming to the end of the week and she’s obviously not feeling any better today than she did when she came in on Monday morning.

She doesn’t even bother to greet him, just keeps her arms wrapped around her and she leans back against the wall. He flicks the brake on and turns to look at her. 

“What was her name?” he asks.

Her eyes go wide, her cheeks go bright red and he doesn’t think he’s ever seen her jaw hit the floor before.

“Excuse me?” she hisses, hands by her side now, fists clenched. She’s not angry though, he knows the difference. This is panic. 

“The woman you broke up with?” he continues against his own better judgement. “What was her name?”

“Um, Rosa,” she says. “How did you know I was...I’d broken up with someone?” she asks.

“Recognised the signs,” he told her, “figured you were dating someone a while ago.”

“Oh.”

“Rough break up?” he says, more of a statement than anything and she nods.

“She was...fed up,” she says to the floor.

“Of you?” 

Gibbs finds that hard to believe, in his opinion he could never spend enough time with Kate, never be so annoyed with her that he would dump her. Not that he thinks about it. At all. Ever.

“No,” she shakes her, “she was fed up that I wouldn’t come out.”

“As bi.”

She nods and he wonders if they should continue this conversation elsewhere. Or at all. But he’s started now and he’s curious about Kate, always has been.

“Why won’t you?” he asks.

“Don’t ask, don’t tell.”

“Not sure that extends to federal agencies, Kate.”

“Not officially,” she says with a sigh. “It’s just easier okay, my parents don’t know and I’ve had...problems in the past so I just...” she trails off and shrugs. “My sister knows, my friend Krista. Abby too.”

“Good, good,” he says, “glad you got someone to talk to y’know?” 

She smiles then, for the first time for a week. He’s not about the offer himself as someone to talk to, he doesn’t think he could handle listening to Kate talk about any of the people she dates regardless of gender. But he is glad that Abby knows, he trusts Abby to consol her adequately. There are very few people who cannot be cheered up by the goth’s enthusiasm. 

He flicks the switch to start the elevator again and he notes that she’s still looking like hell - beautiful but hell - but has at least relaxed. She’s no longer curling in on herself and there is still the edge of a smile on her face.

They reach the ground floor and head out to the parking garage together, she steps closer to him as they walk towards their cars. They’ve parked together, as usual, they’re both creatures of habit in a way. The same spots. The same way of dealing with grief too given the way she’s closed herself off this week. 

“How did you know?” she asks suddenly, stopping a few feet from their cars. He stutters to a halt and turns, feels his cheeks redden cause he was hoping she wouldn’t ask. 

“I saw you, with a blonde in a bar on Chelsea,” he said, and his brain fills in the gaps,  _ making out with a blonde and groping her in a window seat in a bar on Chelsea.  _ “I was just passing,” he adds, feeling guilty still, a year later, cause he had definitely stopped to watch for a few minutes.

“That was...you’ve known all this time?” 

He nods and she continues to her car, watching him as his feet catch up with his brain and blushing bright red.

“You know, if you, ah, wanted to come out, at work, I’d support you.”

She smiles, pausing in unlocking her car.

“Thanks, Gibbs,” she says and instead of getting in her car, she walks around his and up to him. He thinks she’s going to hug him, and he’s not against the idea of any sort of contact with Kate but what he doesn’t expect the kiss on his cheek.

“My door’s always open,” he tells her, voice a little hoarser than he would like, unable not to offer her something, anything in return.

“I know,” she tells him. “Have a good weekend Gibbs.”

He nods and watches her drive away before doing the same and kinda hoping that one day she’ll take him up on his offer.


End file.
